As DJ NordOst and as a customer, my favorite space is always a small box. But of course, I also know that there are warm places with spirit in larger venues. I think clubasia is such a place.

"Asia is like a big small box," I remember my friend DJ Aki Dolanikov murmuring happily at a standing bar the other day.

Big small box. There seems to be no better phrase to describe clubasia. While there are many clubs operating for nearly 30 years around the world, and certainly some within Japan, when it comes to Tokyo, such places are few and far between.
However, the unique aspect of asia is that it does not make you feel the weight of history (in a good way) despite being an established venue. "Embracing all music" is the concept. Sometimes it's pop, sometimes it's flashy, and sometimes it's deep. The 29th anniversary party of clubasia, where various genres and scenes coexist and the sounds of ancient and contemporary music are traded, hosted a total of 11 events on the weekend alone.

Among them, the party that is 100% self-produced and suitable to crown #clubasia29th was DAY.9 “Epoch.” I will write about that experience in detail.

When I visited shortly after it opened, there was a long queue at the entrance. A sight often seen at clubasia. After waiting a little, as soon as I entered, the air at the bar was subtly elevated by DJ Yumip's set. Without players who understand both the celebratory and everyday aspects, you cannot create an extravagant festive day. I wondered how many large venues could manage such a selection while enjoying a beer.

Before long, the 2nd floor and the main floor opened, and the flow of people began to become apparent. This kind of scene unique to clubasia with three booths strongly reminds me that a party is a living being, and while I quickly finished my beer and ordered a Ulong High, I realized that every time I come to asia, I end up getting caught up and speeding up my pace a bit. It's strange.

From the path between the 2nd floor and the main floor, I watched from a distance as DJ Fuji Trill raised the gear for Age Factory. I saw people looking forward to the band's appearance, those engrossed at the DJ booth on the side, and others dancing—all overlapping in sight. The variety of layers that flow and intermingle is something unique that you do not find in a small box. I quite like this kind of non-homogenized coexistence. Huh, I might not dislike big venues… I thought as I moved to the 2nd floor.

The three players SEKITOVA, FELINE, and okadada held down the early half to peak time on the 2nd floor with their unparalleled unique perspectives while keenly observing the floor and finely tuning the nuances. It wasn’t just individuals; the flow of time itself felt pleasant, and I ended up glued to the floor and dancing for a while.

The laser operation led by VJ Camel was also an approach I had not seen much before, with light reflecting everywhere and pouring even directly below the DJ booth. It was mysterious and beautiful. FELINE's play that day was quite exceptional and hypnotically kept me in low flight, and before I knew it, it became an experience of being taken up to the sky. The developments that occasionally gave the illusion of interacting with the laser shook me both mentally and physically. And still, it was only the second act. Incredible!

During the intervals, I went to check on the lounge, got swept away in the crowd on the main floor, and casually indulged in tequila and champagne. I quite liked Asia’s signature red plastic champagne glasses; they are kitschy and cute. Still, bottles kept emptying one after another. Business was good!

As time passed, the audience on each floor began to move between the bar counters and different floors, gradually increasing in number. The main floor was already approaching full capacity. It really is thriving! 

Even when I capture some scenes from my personal perspective, it’s clear that entirely different landscapes spread across the three floors, providing multiple options within the night’s timetable. It’s definitely a unique experience of the club space. You can surrender to the gravitational pull of the stage or wander around aimlessly; even just conversing with people you bump into after a while is enjoyable.
Yes, clubs are somehow fun. I believe that this "somehow" is important. If I remember correctly, there is a passage from an essay by the late Ramoko Nakajima that I read around high school that says something like, "The nights spent laughing until my stomach hurt seem to evaporate the next day."

As a result of the interplay between music and people, an extremely volatile sense of enjoyment permeated the entire space, leading to intoxication and trance. Since the leisure of clubbing provides such experiences, there is a slight sense of guilt in the act of writing a party report. It's unrefined and somewhat troubling, yet I still want to preserve it… Such conflicts, when I look back, often turn out to be just me being drunk at that moment.

By the way, upon looking up the title of this party called "Epoch" in the dictionary, it seems to denote connotations like "a groundbreaking event" or "a significant incident.” It is said that it will be determined by looking back on that era later… It turns out that two individuals who perfectly fit such a meaning are credited tonight. Of course, I am speaking about Taku Takkyu and ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U. The two of them intersect during the last two blocks of the main floor.

The overwhelming stability of Takkyu's 90-minute set was layered with a spirit of service, challenge, experimentation, discovery, humor, and a love for music… all of which harmonized in a strange balance. The following Nakamatsu skillfully captured this flow and seamlessly transformed it to his own color. I thought I could understand the mechanics better since I DJ somewhere each week, but I apologize, it seems there is still a long way to go… Moreover, the main floor was on the verge of overflowing, and customers kept pouring in even after 3 or 4 AM just to see Takkyu and Nakamatsu. While it looked like an epoch-making scene to me, it’s hilarious yet not funny to think that this must be their regular operation. The staff tirelessly dealt with it and seemed to shine under the pressure.

Of course, the main floor and this day’s TYO GQOM, which closed the second floor, was also quite extraordinary. While the main floor resembled a packed train, people started to flock here too, and the voltage of the space continued to rise without limit. Personally, I feel like the sound system on the second floor at asia packs quite a punch, and while it sometimes seems excessively peaky, I didn’t expect GQOM to fit so perfectly here. The high-powered system matched with powerful, low-centered tracks. Especially in the case of GQOM, the bouncy feeling consistently creates a contradiction where buoyancy and heaviness coexist. It’s heavy yet bouncy. I enjoyed experiencing it while forgetting or feeling gravity.

As I thought it might be nearing the end, I returned to the main floor, and even though there were lightings, the floor was buzzing with voices calling for “One more!” Every time Nakamatsu responded smilingly with all his might, it became clear why he is loved by the world. At the very end, Queen and David Bowie’s "Under Pressure" played, and I was amazed at the universal beauty of a song that would remain for decades. What a great song…

Thus, the 29th anniversary celebrations for "Epoch" concluded. Having seen and experienced so much in one night, I thought it was time to collect my belongings, but when I returned to the 2nd floor… TYO GQOM was still going. No way, it just wouldn’t end… That’s why asia is like this!